


For Honor IV

by Bacner



Series: First Times [4]
Category: For Honor (Video Game)
Genre: Aramusha is a ronin, Black Prior, F/M, Gen, Jealousy, Knights - Freeform, New Arrivals, Peacekeeper and Kensei are friends with benefits, Raider and Shaman are siblings, Samurai, Spoilers, Vikings, expanding universe, leadership issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-01-31 16:29:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12685749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bacner/pseuds/Bacner
Summary: Aramusha and Shaman arrive and trouble begins.





	1. Chapter 1

Nothing was promising trouble when Peacekeeper, the other knights and the other two teams went to meet their latest newcomers. Indeed, the Knights did not really need to be there, since this time around they would get no new members, but because it was neighbourly and proper and all that, (Peacekeeper had tuned out Warden by that time in the original speech), they came all the same – and were surprised. Not pleasantly, not unpleasantly, just genuinely surprised by all the excitement that the two newcomers generated from the Samurai and the Vikings.

“You!” the newest Viking, another woman, (just like Valkyrie), shouted at Raider, and the two of them promptly faced-off in a way that was almost family-like in Peacekeeper’s opinion – not that she cared.

Okay, she did – she was Peacekeeper for a reason, namely to keep the peace around, but she usually did not need to, not really, especially when things were unofficial, like right now. …Of course, the first time, Centurion defeated her very clearly and precisely…and got defeated by Kensei in turn, which was what was bothering Peacekeeper here: Kensei was actually angry.

Oh, the Samurai were not yelling and making noises as the Vikings did. (Well, Raider and the new arrival did, and Berserker was putting his two bits in, as usual – but still. Vikings). Rather, Kensei and the new Samurai arrival were glaring at each other and muttering to each other quietly, with a rising irritation, maybe even genuine overt anger, (and the Samurai didn’t do overt emotions at all if they could help it), and the rest of Kensei’s people were not intervening at all…

Oh sure, most of the Vikings, even Highlander, weren’t getting involved with Raider’s own fight with their newest member, but then again, they were the Vikings, dysfunctional was what they did, (especially before Highlander arrived and shook things up somewhat) – the Samurai were different; plus, Warden, or Lawbringer, or anyone else – say, Gladiator – could handle them.

“Excuse me,” Peacekeeper took a firm grip on her inner courtesy. “For those of us who are not fluent in your native language, care to share?”

“This is Aramusha,” Kensei’s own words and stance suggested that he was having an inner struggle of his own. “He’s a ronin.”

“I’m not… no, yes, I am,” Aramusha looked from beneath his wide-brimmed hat. It was a very good hat. Peacekeeper thought – or liked to think – that she knew Kensei by now, meaning that he should be friends with anyone who had such amazing headwear, not enemies. 

“I am a ronin – a masterless Samurai,” Aramusha continued. “And that’s because his ancestors have discharged mine a long time ago-“

“We didn’t discharge you! You quit!” Kensei glared back and stood his ground.

“Over what?” Peacekeeper asked the nearest person, and of course it was Nobushi, with whom Peacekeeper had the worst relationship, (of all the Samurai).

“When our ancestors made plans to come here, to this new land, Aramusha’s ancestors rebelled and opted to stay in the old country instead – and now, here’s Aramusha, coming over here all the same,” Nobushi replied flatly. She paused and added, with more warmth: “Highlander. Hello.”

“Hey!” the big Viking spoke brightly, but then again, he and Nobushi had some sort of a working relationship – and Peacekeeper did not. With Nobushi, that is. “How are things at your end?”

“Interesting,” Nobushi said briskly, but Peacekeeper was quite confident that she heard more human-like notes in the other woman’s voice. “Who is the new girl?”

“Her name is Shaman, and she’s Raider’s sister,” Highlander replied nonchalantly. “They never got along, even back in the old country, so this is why she has come over here just now.” He paused and added, quieter: “And Berserker is egging them on, so this is no good either.”

Everyone stayed silent here – Raider’s relationship with Berserker was especially bad, even by Viking standards, and if the newcomer was his sister…things would not improve either.

"Anyhow,” Highlander continued brightly, without missing a beat, “are we going to fight him or what?”

“Don’t see why not,” Kensei shot the other sword-wielder an odd glance, but his voice was amiable enough. “Nobushi, you want to do the honors?”

“Fine,” Nobushi swung her naginata. “Highlander, you’re next.”

“Awesome!” the big Viking grinned and got his claymore sword all prepared. “Newcomer, you’re in for a tough time!”

“That’s the spirit? I think I can like it!” Aramusha thoughtfully replied as he unsheathed his own twin katana swords. “Bring it!”

As the fighting began in earnest, Kensei subtly slipped away. Peacekeeper followed.

/ / /

“You want to talk about it?” Peacekeeper asked quietly, once they put some distance between themselves and the rest.

“No,” Kensei admitted. “I’ve no idea of what happens next. With Shinobi – we were lucky; Lawbringer had knocked some sense into him over the Warlord incident, but still… He is kin, he is one of us, but his ways are not quite like ours, and his kusarigama are something else. Still, he has no baggage, we had no problems…” He trailed away. “But Aramusha – he’s got baggage with us; I’ve no idea how this ronin is going to fit in…”

“He and I can always switch teams!” Shaman butted-in brightly ,startling the other two. “I’m so not looking forwards to spending time with my brother again – and Berserker is someone else, I admit. Maybe I can be the official Viking mascot of team Samurai, eh?”

Peacekeeper looked at her. “You know, I think that we should fight first,” she made a decision. “Not to make a point, just to sort things out, because this is how things are done here?”

“…I think that I like you! Both of you!” Shaman grinned brightly as she produced her own hatchet and dagger. “Bring it on, lady knight!”

And Peacekeeper did.


	2. Black Prior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: none of the characters are mine, but belong to their respective owners.

…The first time the new team approached Peacekeeper, it was over Vortiger, unfortunately. 

“So, who is he?” Nuxia asked, as the rest of her team – Shaolin, Tiandi and Jiang Jun – let her take point, surprisingly: usually, it was Jiang Jun who did that. “Come to think of it, who’s Apollyon?”

“Oh yes, you weren’t here at that time; it was before Shinobi and me coming here,” Centurion answered instead, and Peacekeeper was grateful for that: all too often, she had to play _peacemaker_ lately, and that something that she was not comfortable with, not entirely. “Basically, within the canon-“

“We have no idea what that ‘canon’ is,” Jiang Jun lied through his teeth.

“-and this is why most of us avoid you people whenever it isn’t necessary, there was Apollyon, who had instigated a war between us, the Vikings and Samurais; she is dead now, but her minions live on. Vortiger and his Black Priors are just the first ones to come into the light, I guess…” Centurion looked away. 

“Is that why he – that Black Prior – is so… strange?” Nuxia spoke this time. “You Knights are avoiding him-“

“Yes, because he – technically – isn’t one of us,” Peacekeeper agreed with her teammate. (She and Centurion had made their peace by now). “He considers himself to be separate, apart…and just like you, he supposedly has no idea of what ‘canon’ is.”

“We don’t like him – we aren’t anything as he is,” Nuxia said firmly. “He is one of you Knights. Handle him – or else!” Having said that, she abruptly turned around and left with the rest of her people.

“I don’t know those guys, but I hate those guys. I don’t know how we can knock sense into Black Prior either,” Centurion confessed to Peacekeeper. “Any ideas?”

“…I think that we should talk to Warden first before making any decisions,” Peacekeeper thought this over. “Nuxia, Jiang Jun and the rest of them may be arrogant elitist snobs, but they have something of a point regarding him. Let’s go and talk to Warden for real.”

And so they did.

/ / /

When they came over to the rest of the Knights, Warden did not seem surprised to see them. “No, we aren’t going over to your Samurai friends for help-“

“Thought so,” Peacekeeper agreed, startling their leader. “How do we resolve this by ourselves?”

There was a pause as they – and the rest of their team – looked at the newly arrived Black Prior, (who was not Vortiger himself, thankfully). The latter was doing their best to appear nonchalant and dark and mysterious in a ragged sort of way, cleaning their sword – and it was a sword in a decent condition too, but it was nothing compared to Black Prior’s shield, which was in a pristine condition: Black Prior certainly understood that their offensive weapon, the sword, had to be maintained properly, but it was no secret in seeing where their true investment lay. 

“This is a very impressive shield,” Warden broke the silence suddenly – again, “but you do know that it will be more than just us now, right? There’s Shugoku, Highlander too, you think that they will be impressed by your shield very long?”

“…No,” came the reply, indicating however that no matter how much effort did Black Prior put into their attitude, the latter was still surprised by Warden’s approach. (Then again, all that Warden did before now was look disapprovingly at the new arrival’s own approach to weapons – whatever you said, Warden did not like shields, period). “So?”

“So nothing,” Peacekeeper said flatly. “You are like Jiang Jun and his people, anyhow? Or are you sane?”

“I’m nothing like them,” Black Prior said flatly, “it’s just that, what are we doing with the other people? Aren’t we supposed to be all separate?”

“That’s Apollyon talking,” Centurion spoke flatly, when he was actually interrupted by Lawbringer:

“No; she actually didn’t care about _that_ sort of segregation; she was interested in separating ‘wolves’ from ‘sheep’ instead. And yes, this is a choice between rotten apples, so to speak, but it has to be made.”

There was a pause, as Lawbringer and Black Prior just stared at each other. “Here’s the bottom line, really,” Peacekeeper muttered, as her internal frustrations bubbled up – slightly – through the metaphorical cracks in her mask. “You can fit-in-“

“But I’m nothing like you-“

“You’re one of us already – sort of; you are still better than Jiang Jun and his people,” Lawbringer did not back down either, “so if you don’t want to be an especially jerky loner like Raider, for example, you can fit into here. You just…have to take the hand that’s been offered, one that Apollyon had refused.”

“Yes, I’ve heard something like that, from the other side, from Vortiger, the head of our order himself – but I’m not him,” Black Prior agreed. “So, how will this work?”

“We’ll just have to work it out by experience – and a few good matches,” Lawbringer shrugged. “Shall we start?”

“Yes-“

“But I’m still the leader,” Warden suddenly snapped, peeved at being sidelined again.

There was a pause. “Of course, there will be setbacks, from everyone,” Lawbringer muttered, “and just so that you know, matches are the best way around here to meet everyone and to learn their character.”

“I think that I understand already,” Black Prior nodded. “Let’s start.”

…And so, a first step was actually made.

End (chapter 2)


End file.
